SUMMARY
Despite being the fifth largest economy in the world, Indian passports can only access 59 destinations visa-free, revealed the latest Henley Passport Index report. While visa-free access may be thought of as a simple measure of freedom of movement, experts say that the ability to freely travel is linked to greater economic opportunities. The index, published by Henley & Partners, visa and citizenship consultants using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), ranks 199 international passports based on how many countries the passport allows visa-free access to. Here are the strongest 12 passports in the world.
No. 12 | Sweden | Rank 5 | Access 188 countries | The Scandinavian nation of Sweden has one of the strongest passports in the world. With a Swedish passport, people can travel with just an additional ID to over 188 countries like Italy, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and more. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 11 | The Netherlands | Rank 5 | Access 188 countries | The Netherlands also has one of the strongest passports in the world. Four-way tied for the fifth position, Dutch passport holders can visit countries like Argentina, South Korea, Spain, Mexico and New Zealand and 183 other countries without the need for a visa. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 10 | Denmark | Rank 5 | Access 188 countries | Denmark not only has one of the strongest passports in Europe but in the world as well. The country is able to get access to 188 countries without the additional formalities of getting a visa. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 9 | Austria | Rank 5 | Access 188 countries | Austrian citizens have plenty of opportunities to travel across the world. Holding an Austrian passport allows one to travel to 188 out of the 227 countries in the world. Some of the countries where Austrians need a passport are Bhutan and Afghanistan. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 8 | Luxembourg | Rank 4 | Access 189 countries | The relatively small nation of Luxembourg has one of the most powerful passports in the world. The passport allows one to travel to 189 countries visa-free. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 7 | Italy | Rank 4 | Access 189 countries | The South European country is in a three-way tie for the fourth most powerful passport in the world. While Italy is a major tourist destination for travellers across the world, Italians themselves can visit 189 different countries without the need for any visa. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 6 | Finland | Rank 4 | Access 189 countries | Finland is also tied for having the fourth most powerful passport with Italy and Luxembourg. Finnish citizens are able to travel without any additional documents to 189 out of 227 countries in the world. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 5 | Spain | Rank 3 | Access 190 countries | With the ability to travel to over 80 percent of the world’s countries without the need for any visa, the Spanish passport is tied for the third most powerful passport in the world. The Spanish passport is also tied for being the most powerful passport in Europe. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 4 | Germany | Rank 3 | Access 190 countries | Tied with the Spanish passport, Germans are able to visit a plethora of countries and find plenty of economic opportunities if they wish with the ability to travel to 190 countries without any visa. Along with the Spanish passport, the German passport is the strongest passport in Europe and the Western hemisphere. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 3 | South Korea | Rank 2 | Access 192 countries | South Koreans are able to travel nearly 85 percent of the world with the ability to visit 192 out of 227 countries in the world. The South Korean passport is tied for being the second strong passport in the world. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 2 | Singapore | Rank 2 | Access 192 countries | Despite being a city-state, Singapore’s importance as a financial and shipping centre has meant that the country is tied for the second strongest passport in the world. Singaporeans can travel to 192 countries without any additional documents. (Image: Shutterstock)
No. 1 | Japan | Rank 1 | Access 193 countries | Japan continues to have the strongest passport in the world. The Japanese can travel to 193 countries without the need for any visa or documentation apart from an ID and passport. (Image: Shutterstock)
Special Mention | India | Rank 85 | Access 59 countries | Tied for 85th rank with countries like Uzbekistan and Mauretania, Indian passports are towards the bottom quarter of the strongest passports in the world. Despite being one of the biggest economies in the world, Indians can’t visit countries like the US, the UK, Australia, France and more without a visa. (Image: Shutterstock)